The Legend of Zelda: The Eternal Winter
by LostInHyrule
Summary: Hyrule is thrust into a neverending winter. Xalon, a gerudo male from the desert, has built up an Ice Tower in Hyrule Field. Only the team of the prophecy can stop Xalon and bring peace to Hyrule by obtaining the Pearls of the 3 Goddesses.[Based off RP]
1. Prologue: The Prophecy

**The Legend of Zelda: Eternal Winter**

**By LostInHyrule, Imagination's Dream, and Linkc-Hero of Twilight**

Engoth's breath created a fog cloud in front of his face when he exhaled. A black scarf was wrapped around his neck and mouth, and his long black hair covered the rest of his head – only his blue eyes were visible. A blanket of snow coated Kakariko Village, and it steadily kept falling.

The windmill upon which Engoth leaned was still turning shaking off a bit of snow each pass, which fell in front of him. He shook his head, and bits of ice flew off onto the ground, only to be replaced in his hair by the falling snow.

The Tower loomed in the distance. It was large enough that it could be seen from Kakariko Village in the far distance, although it would take nearly a day to reach on horseback. It looked as if it was made of ice. If it wasn't, then it was so thickly coated in it that you wouldn't have been able to break through it with a sword. And then there was the wall. Gigantic – 20 feet tall, creating a courtyard around Xalon's masterpiece.

Xalon was denied his throne, years ago now. Most Hylians wouldn't have heard of this, before the crisis, but Engoth wasn't a Hylian. In fact, he wasn't born in Hyrule at all. Far to the West, in the kingdom of Radite, Engoth would also have been royalty himself, had he not escaped. Engoth would have been grudging prince of the elves; it was a job he never wanted. He had never been his father's son in his heart, and his father had never loved him. He was the next link in the bloodline, and nothing more.

The Gerudo have one male born every 100 years, and that male is made king. Never before had _twins _been born, both male, and both fighting for the throne. Upon growing up, Ganondorf and Xalon never knew that they could not rule together – on their joined 18th birthday, it was revealed that only one could rule.

Ganondorf had been born first – if only by a matter of minutes. However, such a small difference in time was enough to crown him king of the Gerudo, and Xalon simply a misfit Gerudo Male.

There was one other of the Gerudo, however, who opposed this decision – the Gerudo High Sorceress thought that they should have to fight each other for the position – that with two Gerudo males, the better should be chosen.

She wasn't listened to, and, having had enough with the Gerudo's rigid customs, vanished completely. However, not before granting Xalon, whom she still believed the true king of the Gerudo, the Magical Orb.

This orb would grant him magical powers far beyond anything he had tried before – he had always been skilled with magic, but he believed this would make him invincible.

Word of an uprising in Gerudo Valley soon spread to Radite, but it was hushed in Hyrule. The Hyrulean government assumed the Gerudo would sort everything out on their own, and they didn't want to worry Hyrulean citizens. So, when Xalon, and a group of Gerudos began a construction project in the middle of Hyrule Field, it came as a surprise to most of Hyrule's citizens.

Xalon told them all that he planned to build a tower of 50 feet in the middle of Hyrule Field, and when nobody stopped him, he did just that. It took him a year – but when it was finished, nobody could deny that it was the most spectacular thing in Hyrule.

He saw his opportunity then and there; with the help of his magical orb, he cast a spell that would bring Hyrule into Eternal Winter. Clever as Xalon was, he cast this spell during Hyrule's winter – nobody would know until springtime, when the spell had already set in.

And, come springtime, the snow did not go away. It didn't get warmer. Xalon sent a message to the King of Hyrule, in mid-springtime.

_Dear King of the Hyruleans,_

_This winter is my doing. If you want your subjects to live until the next true winter, then you shall relinquish your throne to me, and I shall relinquish this winter. _

_Xalon, King of Hyrule_

When the King did not relinquish his throne, Xalon stayed put – he and his monsters could survive in the ice, and the Hyruleans couldn't.

That was why today, a meeting was being called in Kakariko Square, to make good of the one weapon the Hyruleans still had: the Prophecy. The prophecy stated that Five Races of the World – Hylians, Elves, Zoras, Gorons, and Sheikah would unite to create a team powerful enough to vanquish any evil. But in order for the team of the five chosen ones to be able to wield their power, they would need the three pearls.

In the North, The Red Orb of Fire and Destruction keeps the world in balance with Chaos and Destruction.

In the West, the Blue Orb of Water and Serenity keeps the world in balance with Peace and Intellect.

And in the East, the Green Orb of Life and Justice keeps the world in balance with Justice and Revenge.

If the five heroes could harness this power, they would be able to destroy Ganon. Engoth fully expected to be the Elven representative on the team, and he planned to become the leader.

Looking down over Kakariko Village, a short, cloaked figure was visible climbing the steps to the city's entrance.


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**The Eternal Winter**

**Chapter 1: The Meeting**

A/N: Hello! To answer a question, this story takes place 50 years BEFORE (I changed my mind Prayerrun) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. And a 500 years after ALttP. Just wanted to clear that up.

This chapter will be mostly explaining the backgrounds of the characters that will play the biggest parts in the rest of the story. Enjoy!

Oh, quick pronunciation guide for the chapters to come...

Xila: (Zill-A)

Xalon: (ZALL-on)

Engoth: (EN-goth)

Mohkaal: (Moe-KOL)

Tutendorf: (TUT-in-dorf) (Tut as in "King Tut".)

If there are any more I'll post them in later chapters... NOW LET THE STORY COMMENCE!

**------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Xila's family was kill ruthlessly when she was young, making her the last Sheikah. Consumed by the thought of avenging her family's sudden death, she traveled the world looking for the man who killed her family. Her thoughts of revenge drove her to darkness. She found herself as the apprentice of an evil man and learned dark magic. She was eight years old when she started learning the Dark Magic. It poisoned a once great soul.

But 7 years of learning from a Dark Sorcerer was enough to make anyone see that there was more to life than meets the eye. With here training near complete, Xila betrayed and ran away from her master. She's sixteen now, and she wanders Hyrule, trying to escape her past.

But the past has a way of tying itself into the present.

Mohkaal was and is a Zora. He was raised in a position of power from birth in the Zora race. His father was a Zora of great deeds, and he got only the best for his son. His son, naturally intelligent, flourished in his studies. There was no subject in which he was week, but astronomy really fascinated him.

Mohkaal took up swordplay at age 9, and is the best swordsman among the Zoras. He is now a lead Zora council member and the war-chief for the Zora people.

Mohkaal decided that he was part of the prophecy. He had his head set on it. He would go to the meeting and be chosen. He knew it was his destiny.

Artie was a boy. That thought of himself as a man. He was dressed mostly in black. Brown tunic, black tights, black gauntlets. He had light blonde hair, the color of lemons.

Artie was unfortunate enough to be attacked by a Demon when he was just a baby. Demons were powerful possessing creatures that could enter a human and bring their consciousness to ruin.

However, he was lucky enough to get a weak one. A Wolf-demon, who failed when trying to possess Artie. Artie was just a baby, so his fairy, Ski, defended him and defeated the wolf-demon. Now Artie has the skill to transform into the wolf that once tried to capture his soul.

Artie was abandoned when he was a baby. He was found and raised by a peasant family in Hyrule Castle Town. He was found abandoned with a Golden Shield and a Sword of Light. When he came of age, his adoptive father presented him with the Shield and Sword.

Shortly after, his father died. Artie was evicted from his home. He now wandered the streets, stealing to survive. Artie intended to join the team of prophecy by attending this meeting.

And last hero was Link. 12 years of age. This was _not_ the Hero of Legends, but Hero of Legends was Link's namesake. He was extremely proud of his name-sake. He sported a green tunic and hat in honor of his hero. Link was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, when the meeting was held.

All 6 of our heroes met in a clash of fate at that meeting.

Xila pulled her dark cloak around her as she crossed the snow-covered Hyrule Field. The snow crunched underneath her boots as she walked to Kakariko Village. The weapons on her back were well hidden under her cloak; she didn't want people to think she was there to hurt them. She walked through the gate and pulled up her hood. She was now completely hidden in her cloak. Her identity secret to the outside world.

"What's going on?" She asked some as they walked by. Of the many people there, many of them began to murmur when she arrived.

_Do they think I'm the enemy? _Xila thought. Then she saw Link.

Link had just poked his sword up at a bird. _Childish carelessness._ Xila thought. But the sword passed the bird, and in turn, caught the shoulder of a big brawny looking man.

The big man picked Link up by the collar. He was bleeding around his shoulder. The man slammed Link into a wall brick wall. Link felt his arm snap.

Link could barely fight the pain. The man let Link fall to the ground, and Link couldn't get up. He tried, and stumbled.

"Hey you!" Xila yelled, watching the incident. "You with no manners! What gives you the right to do that?!"

_No manners probably isn't the way I should have put it..._ Xila thought. _More like child abuser..._ Xila then proceeded to shout a few curses in the ancient Sheikah language before turning to Link.

"You okay kid?" Xila asked. She was outraged.

"Thanks for yelling at that man miss..." Link said.

Xila was about to go over to the man and give him a large piece of her mind when the Village Elder began to speak.

"Quoting the ancient prophecy, we shall pick our team to go and find the three orbs of the goddesses. One Sheikah... one Elf... one Hylian... one Zora... and one Goron. However, as it seems, there are no Sheikah or Gorons here. Either way, do we have any volunteers for the team?"

Here is where Engoth saw his opportunity.

"Honorable Elder." Engoth said. "I request to be the elven representative on the team of legends."

"I accept you to the team, as long as there are no other Elves here wanting the spot. Anyone?" The Elder said. No-one answered. "Then the elf is on the team."

Engoth was actually a half-elf. But he wasn't about to tell them that. He wanted this more than anything, and nothing was going to screw it up for him. Engoth saw another chance. He plunged.

"I also humbly request, Elder, that I may be the team's leader."

This raised many gasps from the crowd. This kid? 17 year old kid whom no-one knows? But Engoth knew better. Elves lived much longer than Hylians; but they also matured much quicker. Engoth, at 17 years of age, had the physical build of someone in their late 20's. And the mental capacity of the Village Elder.

"I have no objections." The Elder said. "Does anyone here object to the elf leading the team?"

There were some murmurs of agreement, but then the fat man spoke out.

"I don't want some fake Hylian leading our team!" The man shouted. "I should lead the team, I'm the Biggest!"

Artie heard the man shout this, from 2 feet away.

"You certainly are the biggest...A" He muttered. The man heard Artie, and he grabbed his collar and dragged me outside to the side. He threw me on the ground as he took out a giant sword.

"Come on skinny, I'll beat you up!" The man yelled, and a group of people came over to watch. Artie dusted himself off and drew out his weapons.

"Um, kid, do you know why there are a lot of people here?" Xila asked Link. "And what's going on in Hyrule?" She followed his gaze and her eyes were drawn to a fight going on. Her heart beat just a little fast as she threw off her cloak and drew her sword. She began to strut over to the fight. She smiled. She loved fights.

"HEY! You're the guy who hurt that kid!" Xila shouted. "What? You couldn't get a good fight from the kid so you look for someone else?" She continued taunting. "Well, if you're looking for a fight, you might as well fight me. 'Cause I doubt this guy did anything to you." She smirked. A gasp rose from the crowd. A girl like her fighting a big lug like him? Seems like she'd get hurt very badly, but she knew she could take him. She was a Sheikah, after all. She took her hood off.

Engoth saw Xila take off her hood. _A Sheikah_. Engoth thought. _Of course_. He thought. It was so obvious to him now. But he didn't think he needed her help. The man had insulted him, and he would make him pay for that. He drew his dagger, and strut slowly, dagger outstretched, across the town square, toward the man.

"Break it up!" The Elder yelled. "We don't need your kind of help, fat man! Leave!" He barked.

The man started charging at Xila. Artie took the invitation to spring into action. The man had pulled a hatchet from his belt, and Xila seemed to be frozen. Artie pulled out his golden shield and jumped in front of Xila. He parried a thrust from the man's axe. He then side kicked him in the chest pushing him back.

"C'mon! I can't have all the fun!" Artie shouted to Xila. Xila smiled.

"Let's rock." Xila said. Xila charged with her sword and hit the fat man in the gut with the hilt of it, making him drop his hatchet.

_Something doesn't seem right._ Artie thought. Artie stared into the mans eyes. He couldn't help feeling an evil presence there. Possessed was the word he's like to use. _But the only person with the knowledge of that kind of magic is..._ Artie gulped.

"Tutendorf!" He cried out. The man grimaced and looked deeply into Artie's eyes. _So this is his newest form..._ Artie thought. Desperately, he ran over and thrust his sword at the man's heart. His blow was parried, but he then stuck his sword into the man's leg.

_Tutendorf? Who in Farore's name is Tutendorf?_ Xila thought as she watched Artie stab the man in the leg. She saw her opening. She grabbed the pendant around her neck and shouted;

"Raja!" The shadows of the village wrapped around the fat man keeping him from moving. Xila smiled, impressed with herself. She walked over to him.

"Who is Tutendorf?" She asked the man as he fell to the ground. The man spat in her face. In a furious rage, Xila brought the blade of her sword across the man's chest. He coughed up blood, and began to fall backward.

But he was stopped in mid-air.

The man sat back up again. He opened his eyes, to reveal red, demon eyes. Pupil-less things, they seemed to be dangerous to even look at.

"He is my master! Spawn of Demon and Gerudo blood!" The man finished, before the red light left his eyes and he keeled over.

Xila watched the life drained from his eyes. The Shadow within her danced with joy. _Who cares about him? _Xila thought_. He was a minion of the guy who killed my family. Or, the master of the guy who killed my family. He deserved it._

She knew where she knew that name from. She turned to the other guy and walked over to him.

"Who are you?" She asked. She had to look up to make eye contact with him. Xila studied him for a minute as she waited for a reply.

Engoth arrived at the fight seconds too late. He saw the red light drain from the man's eyes, but there was nothing he could do about it. He cursed the large crowd and their ability to restrain him long enough that he couldn't get through.

Artie didn't hear Xila's question. There was a voice ringing consistently inside his head.

_He has returned... _It chanted, over and over.


	3. Chapter 2: The Inn

**The Eternal Winter**

**Chapter 2: The Inn**

Author's Note: If I do something contradicting the RP here, please do not correct me Imagination's Dream or StickMario645. It was probably intentional. That goes for the rest of the chapters I write.

Also, you will notice that Kakariko Village will be portrayed as much bigger than it was in Ocarina of Time. This was before Hyrule Castle Town flourished and Kakariko was the place to be. Before Impa brought it back up from the ashes of a huge fire. Thank you. On to the story!

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No-one else knew she was a Sheikah. But Engoth was an elf. His senses were much more adept than any Hylians. He walked up to Xila and bowed.

"Honorable Sheikah." He stated. This drew gasps from the crowd. Xila grimaced. "I purpose this Sheikah join the team." This time, he said it to the Village Elder.

"I have no objections." The Elder said. "There are no other Sheikah here. The Sheikah is on the team."

_What? _Xila thought. _What is this team? What's going on here?_ She couldn't fathom what being on this team meant.

"Who are you?" Xila said again, to Artie. She ignored the Elder.

Artie pondered this. He then thrust the backs of his hands together. He fought off the searing pain there, and when he brought his hands apart, Triforce marks shown brightly on both of his hands.

"I am Artie." He said triumphantly. "And I am a chosen hero."

Gasps arose from the crowd. But Xila didn't know the importance of what he had just said.

"Name's Xila." She said casually. She turned to Engoth. "And what's your name?"

Engoth was very secretive. He didn't let anyone know the truth about his past. "My name is Engoth." He said, his voice held strong. And that's all you need to know about me." Engoth thought... "Are you on the team or not?" Engoth looked impatient.

_I have to keep myself shrouded in mist._ Engoth thought. _Let them tell me about themselves first. Anyone could be working against me._

Xila nodded slowly, and her eyes darkened... _Secretive_... She thought. _Well I can't blame him... I'm quite secretive myself..._

"Team?" She asked. "I don't know what's going on. But," She looked over to the body of the dead minion and anger turned her eyes from emotionless silver to a forbidding magma. She felt a dark wave come over her. She looked back to Engoth. "If I get to watch the life leave Tutendorf's eyes, I will join this 'team' you speak of."

She thought of her revenge and how she could avenge her family's death by aiding in this. A whisper ran through the crowd at the change of her eyes color. They definitely had never seen someone with color changing eyes before.

The eyes were a trait for Xila. They had run in the Sheikah family for centuries. Her eyes told exactly what her emotion currently was. Pale Silver was emotionless; red was anger; and a sky-blue was passionate. Right now her eyes flashed with a hint of red, but had mostly gone back to their Silver state.

Xila had flowing hair that passed her shoulders. It alternates purple and pale silver streaks. She is tall for a girl, skinny and fair. She always wears a black cloak that conceals her figure and a hood that covers her head. She very rarely takes off that hood; only in the company of true friends.

Engoth thought. _Who the heck was a Tutendorf?_

"I don't know who Tutendorf is." Engoth said. "But adding a warm-up to the teams' agenda shouldn't hurt."

_Warm-up?_ Xila thought. _What's this team for then?_ Then the Village Elder began to speak up again.

"Very good." The Elder said. "Do we have a Zora representative?"

Mohkaal was confident. "Yes Elder. I would like to join the team." Mohkaal said, his hand on the hilt of his sword for added emphasis.

"Tutendorf is the guy who sent fatso over there to attack this village." Xila whispered to Engoth. "He and I have some unsolved issues."

Tutendorf had been the murder of her family, of course. She wanted revenge. More than anything, that was her reason or joining the team.

"Representatives?" Xila asked, so only Engoth and Artie could hear. For what? What is this team doing? What has happen to Hyrule?"

She was confused about everything. When she had left things were normal, and now it was like there was a war going on. _What has happened to my dear homeland while I was away? _She thought.

Engoth knew the team's mission inside out.

"This team is dedicated to entering the castle of Xalon." Engoth said. "Xalon has cast this eternal winter on Hyrule, and used it to create his Ice Tower. But the elder says that first we must gather the orbs of Din, Farore, and Nayru. We will storm Xalon's castle in Hyrule Field and show him whose boss! Who rules Hyrule! But first we need to have a representative from the main 5 races... Kokiri and Gerudo excluded, of course. A Sheikah, an elf, a Hylian, a Goron, and a Zora. This leads us back to accepting the Zora on the team." He now spoke up so all could hear. "I would accept him."

"Then the Zora is on the team. Zora Prince. What is your name?"

"Mohkaal." Mohkaal said. "Honorable Village Elder. I thank you for letting me have this opportunity.

"Then," Xila said. "As the last of my race the Sheikah, I ask to be a part of this team. No one comes to the land in which I was born and does this." She finished. Even though she was only _half_ Sheikah, she was the last one. She felt it was her duty to help. "So when do we leave?"

"Not yet..." Engoth said. "We still need a Goron and a Hylian... Artie. You are on the team then, I assume?"

Link looked down. "But what about me?"

Engoth looked sad. "And you, Link... we only have a spot for one Hylian. I'm sorry."

"I object!" The cry came out from a gruff old Hylian. "We out-number the rest of the races together! One of us is too few... I purpose Link and Artie are allowed to join the team! What say you, elder?" He finished triumphantly. Many Hylians cheered.

"That is up to the team leader now..." The Elder said. "Which still hasn't been decided... does anyone else want to nominate someone to lead the team? Otherwise, the elf leads the team."

Another villager cried out, "This Sheikah should not be on the team! She killed that guy with the shadows! Only dark magic can control the shadows! How do we know we can we trust her?!"

_That's completely off the point..._ Xila thought.

"You don't." She replied simply. "But, those here who know me from long ago do."She turned to the Elder. "Did you not know my family? You spoke out to the village after they-" Xila's voice faded. Her family's death wasn't something she particularly enjoyed talking about. But, he must have remembered. The village elder spoke at all the funerals. "After 'you-know-what'." She finished. Her anger faded to grief, as her eyes once again changed color. She hid her feelings well, but her eyes tell what mood she's in by their color. She knew it was futile.

The Elder felt a sadness and lonesome creep into his soul for the sake of Xila. He did indeed remember...

"She can be trusted." He said quite simply. "Do we have a Goron representative? And does anyone object to the Elf leading the team? Last call?"

Engoth was sure he'd take the position.

Mohkaal was itching to get this over with. He was quite bored. _Just let the elf take the spot._ He thought. _So we can get out of this Din-forsaken meeting._

Link barely contained himself from jumping for joy. _I'm going to be on the team!_

"Still!" The man shouted. "She can control the shadows! Only those who have been consumed by darkness can control it!"

Chills ran up Xila's spine. He was right. But she wasn't that girl anymore, she wasn't a killer consumed by darkness out for revenge. She never would be that again. She was sure of it. She watched to see how others would react.

_If they know my dark past would I still be trusted? _Xila thought_. I've changed, and the Elder knows that!_ _He helped me change my ways a year ago_. But she knew she wouldn't be trusted easily.

"So," Artie started. "If I have a demon inside of me, that automatically makes me consumed by darkness?" Artie asked. He knew the answer of course. It didn't. But he wanted to draw the attention off of Xila.

_So what if she can control the shadows? _Artie thought. _That doesn't make her less of a human being! _

"He speaks the truth Artie..." Xila murmured. "My past is not a pretty picture."

"If I have anything to say about it." The Elder said. "Than the girl is on the team. Team Leader? Engoth? What say you?"

Engoth was taken aback. _So I am the team's leader..._

"I say she's on the team." Engoth stated. He trusted the Elder.

So they were the team. All 5 of them. Engoth, Artie, Xila, Link, and Mohkaal.

"I see no Gorons have shown up." Engoth said. _We can't complete this mission without the team of prophecy... _He thought. "I propose that our team's first trek will be to Death Mountain. To find out what happened to the Gorons and get one to join our team."

Murmurs of agreement passed through the crowd.

"I'm hungry." Xila said absently. "You guys wanna go get somethin' to eat?"

"Sure." Artie and Engoth said at the same time.

"Where's the best place to eat around here?" Xila asked.

"The Inn!" Artie exclaimed. "Food and lodging of the best!" His mouth broadened into a wide smile.

"Lead the way." Xila said. "I haven't been here in a while." In fact, she didn't even remember there being an Inn in Kakariko Village, but then again, she had been gone for a very long time.

Artie led the way through the twists and turns of the city, and finally came to a large building near the back of town.

"The Inn." Artie read off the sign. "Quite simple to remember the name, won't it be?"

"Must be the only one here..." Xila reasoned. Artie looked at her funny.

"Of course there's only one Inn here... You didn't know? Where have you been?" Artie asked this question sarcastically, not meaning to literally ask where Xila had been. But Xila took it the wrong way.

"None of your business..." She answered. Artie shrugged. The team walked into the Inn.

The Inn was like a restaurant on its ground floor. Well actually, it was a restaurant. People could come and eat without having to get a room. The Inn made a lot of money off of its business. Engoth picked out a round table near the back of the large hall big enough for all 5 of them to fit. He motioned for a waiter to come over.

Xila took the chair near the window and looked outside. Soft white flakes of snow fell from the heavens and landed crisply on the ground. Light grey clouds hung in the air keeping the suns warmth away. Xila didn't mind the cold. She knew something had to be done about this, or they'd all freeze, but Xila would be happy until the freezing day. She loved the cold. It numbed her pain, watching the flakes of snow drop outside the window. Her mind began to drift.

A waitress came over to the table, and took everyone's order. Then a bus-boy came by with soup and salad. The team all quietly sipped the warm soup. It warmed them from the inside out and got rid of all of the chill that had frosted them down from inside them outside at the meeting in the Village Square.

A small poem popped into Xila's mind. A poem her mother had sang when she was very young. She started reciting it without thinking about it. It started out as a whisper, but grew louder throughout.

"_To the north,_

_Made of power it comes forth,_

_An orb of red awaits._

_To the west, _

_Made by peace and love of best,_

_An orb of blue awaits._

_To the east,_

_Of Courage, not valued least,_

_An orb of green awaits."  
_

Xila finished, embarrassed because by the end, the entire team was looking at her. Her cheeks flushed.

"That was the poem my mother always used to sing to me..." She trailed off, embarrassed.

"I heard that when I was a kid also..." Artie said. He seemed to be wrapped up in memories... Probably not fond ones, either.

"It must be talking about the three orbs we're setting out to get!" Link exclaimed.

Xila chuckled at the young boy's revelation. The snow and ice was like a dream to her, so she was very interested with it. She stared out the window dreamily. She was quite tried, however, so she closed her eyes for a while. But she wasn't sleeping. Her thoughts shifted from one thing to another so quickly it was hard for her to concentrate on one single thing.

Engoth followed Xila's gaze out of the window. The snow and ice that had encrusted Hyrule was pleasing to the eye, but she seemed entranced.

"It will be gone soon, rest assured." Engoth said to Xila. "Does it bring back bad memories?" The last bit wasn't trying to be insensitive. But that's how it came across to the outside world. Mohkaal shot Engoth a disapproving look.

"Many memories." was all Xila had to say. Engoth could tell that she wasn't thinking about her family. Or any of the bad things in life, for that matter. Her voice made him sure of it. She looked peaceful. _But a little too peaceful for the task at hand..._ Engoth thought.

Dinner finally came. Delicious trays of roast beef, corn, potatoes, and other delicious things. The group started to chow down. But Xila's eyes remained closed.

"Dinner's here Xila." Engoth said. He was trying to sound compassionate, but he lacked a real sincerity in his deep voice.

Mohkaal rolled his eyes, for everyone to see. This brought on an awkward silence. Mohkaal decided he wanted to break that silence.

"Let's eat!" He exclaimed. "This stuff is delicious!"

Xila took a bite or two of the meal, but she wasn't very hungry. Her peaceful state was interrupted when she saw a family walking by. It made her think of her old family, which lead to the thoughts of her life, which was filled with never ending troubles. She blinked back tears of sorrow so my eyes turned a glassy silver. Her mood darkened with the sorrow.

"I'm not hungry." She said, pushing her plate away from her. She was diligent of the fact that she would regret this move later, but for now, she couldn't bring herself to eat.

"The food was good." Mohkaal said, when they had all finished. "My Egg Salad was particularly nice..." His voice trailed off.

_He's going to try that conversation starter?_ Engoth thought. He snickered. He wanted to get down to business.

"Could you repeat the prophecy poem, Xila?" Engoth asked. He wanted to think about where they could go to get the orbs.

Just then the waiter brought out dessert.

"Oh!" Link said. "It looks delicious!" He was right. Pies, and Ice Cream, all the types of frozen treats you could ask for. But the pie looked the best. Pudding pie. With a chocolate pie crust, and whipped cream. The look of it made Xila's mouth water.

"Maybe just one little pie..." She said, reaching for one. Artie took one too. Xila was about to take a bite, but Artie stopped her.

"Wait." Artie said. He sniffed the pie, turned away revolted, and put a finger down in the pie. He pulled it back up, and when the pudding edged away, his finger was a deep purple. "Poison." He said.

Link scoffed. "Poison? Just 'cause your finger came out purple doesn't mean it's poisoned. You're being paranoid.

Xila wanted to find out. She muttered a few words under her breath, and her pie glowed purple.

"It's poisoned all right." She said.

"Told ya." Artie said, smirking at Link. But then he shifted his attention to the task at hand; finding the one who had poisoned their desserts.


	4. Chapter 3: The Lurker

**Eternal Winter**

**Chapter 3: The Lurker**

A/N: Same requests as last chapter. Thanks! Hope you enjoy! And review if you read it! I welcome flames, but please try to be constructive in your reviews.

**Timeline Change:** Please don't flame me for changing the timeline. PLEASE! I beg of you! Anyways, I'm moving this up to 50 years before OoT. That is all. Thank you. No flames. On the timeline, anyhow.

Also, this chapter the story's rating will be changed to "T", for extreme violence. On to the story!

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"Stay here." Engoth said. "I'm going to go into the kitchen alone." Finality was strong in his voice.

"Yeah right!" Xila said. "I'm coming with you!"

"No offense Xila, but you aren't exactly a stealthy person. I'm going to do this quick, and alone."

Engoth began to walk towards the kitchen. Everyone stayed seated, but then Mohkaal got up to follow him. Engoth whispered to Mohkaal.

"Yeah, you can come. You're experienced..." Mohkaal was taken aback. He had tried to sneak up on Engoth, but apparently it hadn't worked.

"Okay..." Mohkaal whispered. He followed closely in the hall towards the kitchen.

Engoth saw her, of course. How couldn't he have? He knew Xila was sneaking behind them in the shadows. He didn't care; as long as she didn't get in the way, it didn't matter. _It's funny how she thinks she's being stealthy..._ Engoth thought. He and Mohkaal continued, on tip-toes. They reached the kitchen door. It was an open archway, maybe 10 feet high and 6 wide. Engoth peered around the doorway to see a Gerudo woman. He quickly pulled his head back. She hadn't seen him.

The Gerudo woman wore deep blue and black. The outfit of a follower of Xalon. This wasn't one of Ganondorf's minions, that was sure. The traditional dyed-red hair and purple tunic was gimmicky in Xalon's mind. He preferred Jet-black hair and blue and black outfits for his followers. No exceptions.

Engoth went in when her back was turned. His sword was in front of the Gerudo, and he was behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Engoth asked in a mocking tone. Blood trickled down the Gerudo's chest where she had jumped and scraped the sword.

Meanwhile, Xila had problems of her own.

Artie had snuck up with her. "I know what you're doing..." He had whispered. Link was alone at the table. _Poor Link..._ Artie thought. He chuckled at the thought. But Artie and Xila were delayed.

Another Gerudo had managed to sneak up behind Artie. Xila was a few paces ahead of Artie now. She turned around, and saw the Gerudo about to stab Artie through the back.

"Look out!" Xila screamed. Artie swirled around. In mid-turn, he cleared his mind and let the Demon inside him take over. He was transformed into a Wolf. Artie growled.

The Gerudo thrust forward with her spear, but Artie was too quick for her. He leapt around her and jumped to grab her spear in his mouth.

Engoth heard the scream. "Would you care to go see what the problem is?" He asked Mohkaal.

"My pleasure." Mohkaal responded. He walked around the archway into the hall. Sure enough, there was the Gerudo lady, spear wrenched out of her hands. "So you got her under control?" Mohkaal asked. Xila looked up and was about to say something, but she was kicked back down by Gerudo. The Gerudo girl launched herself toward Xila. Artie, in his wolf form, was unable to use the spear. He jumped toward the Gerudo, who instantly kicked him backwards. The Gerudo was almost upon Xila, but Xila wasn't about to let her guard down.

Xila's eyes had turned jet-black. Her pupils rolled out of her eyes. She muttered some words that no-one else could hear, and a dark shadow enveloped the sword she had just drawn. She swiftly cut out the Gerudo's throat. She was panting heavily, and unmistakable rage about her.

"Has her sword always been like that?" Mohkaal asked, playing dumb. He knew that had a problem on their hands.

Blood splattered the kitchen floor, as the Gerudo's head rolled to the floor. _Idiot!_ Engoth thought. _She tried to attack me! And I was being merciful to begin with..._ Engoth walked out into the hall. A body lay on the floor, in a pool of blood.

"What happened here?" Engoth asked. He was quite impressed really, as he saw Xila was the one wielding the sword. But his mood changed quickly. Xila had been unable to recall the shadow from her sword in time. "We need to talk." He said, motioning toward Xila's sword.

Xila knew that Engoth knew the importance of what had just happened. Only a Dark Sorceress could do that. It made the blade sharper, lighter, and simply more powerful. But it was a Dark Spell, and it took its toll on the body. It fatigued the user, and made an evil grow inside of them.

Dark Magic was a trait of the Sheikahs, of course. It was their way of keeping peace around Hyrule. They were experts in its usage, and its techniques for peacekeeping and guarding. However, the Dark Magic that Xila had manifested was something different entirely.

The Sheikah had a modified version of this Dark Magic that they used for good. They had cleansed it, refined it, and used it for the good of Hyrule. This was _not_ the type Xila had used.

Engoth knew that not every sword was able to absorb this magic. Nor that any Sheikah was taught such a Dark Spell. It was quite a potent spell, taught only at the higher levels of Dark Sorcery. He knew that this could pose a problem.

Engoth brought Xila to the side. "Where the heck did you learn to do that?" He asked her.

Xila ignored him. She knew she was in deep. "Nice sword you got there." She said, motioning towards Mohkaal.

"Thanks..." Mohkaal started. "It's an ancient Zora weapon. It's played a lot of part in our history, if you care..." His voice trailed off at a sharp look from Engoth. He looked at Engoth apologetically. He couldn't help boasting about his importance in the Zora race. He knew Engoth had a purpose.

Engoth vowed that the next morning, when it was early and no-one but them was around, that he would confront Xila. But for now, he just looked at her. With a look that could have melted the frostiest Mountain Peak.

Xila returned his look with one that could freeze the hottest lava of the Death Mountain Crater. Engoth broke the silence.

"We'll leave at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning." Engoth leaned in closer to the rest of the gang. "And just to be careful... I think we should take turns keeping a watch. Just in case."

"Smart idea." Artie agreed. Mohkaal and Xila nodded.

"I'll take the first shift no-matter what." Engoth said. "Link won't have to take a shift. Every shift is 2 hours, and since its 9:30 now, by the time it starts, we'll all have a 2 hours shift."

The rest of the gang nodded. Engoth walked through the dining hall to the front desk in the lobby. Link got up and followed them.

"3 rooms." He said, pretending to be annoyed. "Make it snappy!" The attendant hurried and got Engoth 3 keys. Engoth began to walk away.

"Uh..." The attendant stuttered. "No charge, of course..."

Engoth laughed. "Considering I'm saving your butt." He said. "From a horrible freezing death, I'd assume you wouldn't charge me." Engoth had an unmistakable confidence in his voice that destroyed the confidence of the attendant.

Engoth threw a room key at Artie. He caught it effortlessly. Xila was a little less glamorous when she had her room key tossed at her. She flinched and dropped it. The rest of the group chuckled. Xila blushed.

"Mohkaal will bunk with me." Engoth said. "Artie will go with Link, and Xila gets her own room." Engoth finished. He walked out of the lobby, down a hall, and opened up his room. He took the pack that had his stuff in it and plopped it on his bed. Mohkaal came in soon afterward.

"I'm off to bed..." He said, yawning. Engoth laughed as Mohkaal plopped himself down on the bed and rolled down under the covers.

Xila had found her way into her room, and she was sitting up in bed. She couldn't sleep, and she knew it. She thought about life for an hour, and then settled down to sleep. Her next hour of sleep was broken up with nightmares. At around 12:00, she came out of her room to sit outside. The cold didn't bother her.

Engoth's shift had gone uneventfully. He was heading back to his room, when he passed Xila in the hall. "Your turn..." He said, yawning.

Xila rolled her eyes. She had forgotten about the shifts thing. She decided she would take her shift from outside. That way, she could make sure no-one would get inside the inn. It would work just as well, she reasoned.

She stepped outside and walked around to a bench outside the door. She wrapped her cloak around herself and gazed out along the village, facing south. Kakariko Village was elevated from the rest of Hyrule, so she had a decently good view. Good enough to see the Ice Tower looming in the backdrop of the would-be pretty picture.

A feeling of serenity engulfed her. How she loved the snow. She would actually be sad to see it go. She felt that she could sit out there forever. Her eyes deepened into a dark blue, and she almost closed them. She was peaceful.

Then she saw the Lurker.

The Lurker caught her eye while flitting back and forth near the entrance to the village. Her heart stopped short. _How did they find me?_ She thought, her heart pounding in her chest, like a wild animal trying to get free. Her eyes became a yellow-green. She knew she had to confront him sooner or later.

Engoth couldn't sleep. He had decided to go relieve Xila of her shift. He yawned as he walked down the Inn's halls to the lobby. He sighed as he saw that Xila wasn't there. _Idiot!_ Engoth thought. She was supposed to stay in the lobby! Engoth saw her outside, walking away from the Inn. Towards the entrance to the village. Engoth gasped. _She's ditching us! _He thought.

Engoth ran out of the Inn and started to run towards Xila. But then Engoth saw the lurker. He gulped. He knew Xila couldn't face it alone, but he also knew that if he ran to help, it would leave. He needed to know what it was.

Engoth had great ears, like all elves do. He easily picked up their conversation from the 50 feet that separated them. He hit behind a withering tree and simply listened. But he had his bow at the ready.

The Lurker studied Xila for a moment. Then he let out a cruel, cackling laugh. Engoth shivered.

"You run from your past." The Lurker started. "And yet you still use the Dark Magic techniques you learned at the hands of your master..."

_Master?_ Engoth thought. He knew he had been right. Xila had been a Dark Sorceress.

"What do you want?" Xila's voice rang out, cruel and arrogant as the Lurker's. 

"What do you think?" The Lurker asked with a chuckle. "You left his army, he wants you back."

Engoth knew the implications of this. Xila had been in Xalon's army.

"You, after all, were his apprentice."

Engoth's thoughts swirled. _Xalon's apprentice!?_ Engoth thought. We've invited a rogue Gerudo-follower onto the team of prophecy.

"He taught you everything you wanted to know." The Lurker continued. "And you left."

Engoth dared a peak around the tree. The Lurker had drawn its sword. It lashed it out at Xila, but not to kill. It just weakly glanced off the back of Xila's hand. It should barely have hurt her, or so Engoth thought. He apparently was wrong.

Xila dropped to her knees in agony. This puzzled Engoth; but he knew that there was more secrets Xila had been hiding from them then just her dark past.

Engoth watched, stunned, as the Lurker picked Xila up by the collar and tossed her down like a rag doll. He picked her up again.

"Xila, Xila, Xila." Engoth heard him say. "Did you really think he'd let you out of his army, abandon the title of his apprentice, and change sides without a care?" The Lurker chuckled a deep, dark, cruel laugh. "He sent me to give you a choice. You can rejoin the army, and become as strong an apprentice as ever."

"And if I refuse?" Xila asked, cutting in on The Lurker. 

"No one refuses an offer from him." The Lurker said. He took his sword and gave Xila a cut on the neck. It wouldn't kill her. He then tossed Xila on the ground again. "You have two days to come up with an answer. At this time in 2 days I'll come to get you."

With that, the Lurker took a bag of powder out of his cloak, took a pinch, and threw it on the ground. Smoke rose up in every direction, forcing Xila to cover her eyes and put down her head.

Engoth's arrow reached the spot the spot where the Lurker had been about a second after it had moved. Engoth cursed the fact that he hadn't been quick enough. He ran over to Xila.

"Are you okay Xila!?" He asked, when he reached her. She was on her hands and knees grimacing. Engoth pulled a rag out of his tunic and laid it across Xila's neck wound. He had by this point forgotten all about the confrontation he had planned to have with her.

Xila muttered a response. She was weak. Engoth knew it. Her wound was deep; it would be hard to heal her.


	5. Chapter 4: Unfinished Business

**Eternal Winter**

**Chapter 4: Unfinished Business**

Hey guys! I'm assuming that none of you want me to answer Riggs questions in the story, right? I already answered him personally. But I will next time it you wish... Well, there's one easy one. The Kokiri are excluded because they're mostly dumb midgets, and the Gerudo are excluded because they all work for Xalon or Ganondorf.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Next chapter the real quest will begin, I promise!

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Engoth helped Xila back into the Inn. He laid her on her bed, the rag still wrapped around her neck. It was completely caked in blood, but the blood flow had stopped.

"I'll be back." He said, and he went to get the rest of the team. Engoth walked out of the room and over to his own and Mohkaal's. He shook Mohkaal awake. "Get up." He said, not unkindly.

"Crazy crap that was a few hours ago." Mohkaal said, getting up. He yawned. "The Dark Magic Xila used..."

Engoth stopped dead. He had completely forgotten about that. What if this was all a ploy? What if the Lurker had known he was there, and was trying to solidify their trust in Xila, just to have her backstab them? He had to be sure. Just a minute ago he had been feeling close to Xila; he felt they could relate. His past had been full of blunders as well. But now that feeling was all gone. There was a chance she was the enemy. As the leader of the team, he knew that he couldn't put the rest of them at risk.

"Come to Xila's room." Engoth said. He walked out of their room and down the hall. He banged on Link and Artie's door. "Get to Xila's room when you can." He said. He then walked back to Xila's room with Mohkaal on his heels. He threw the door open.

Xila was sitting upright on her bed, tending to her wound. She had got out a bottle of water and was applying it steadily to her wound. Engoth walked over to see how the wound was faring. It wasn't faring well.

"I think it was poisoned..." Xila said, her voice trailing off. Engoth removed the rag, not as gently as he might have a few minutes before. The wound was infected already, that much was sure. The kind of wound that would be infected in minutes wasn't one Engoth was familiar with. He reasoned she was right.

"It probably was poisoned..." Engoth said. He ran his hand over the wound, causing Xila to jump. His hand came away with a mixture of blood and a black-purple liquid. Xila's eyes were a greenish-yellow. She shook fiercely.

"What's gonna happen to me?" Xila asked. She was fearful. Engoth could see it in her eyes. Much more literally than in most people.

"We have to talk." Engoth said.

"What?" Xila almost screamed. "We just deducted that I'm poisoned! What do you want to talk about?"

"I think you know."

"I-" she cut off. She did know what he was talking about. She gulped. "Your heard everything, didn't you?"

Mohkaal was confused. "Heard what? What the heck is going on here?"

"It's a long story, Mohkaal." Engoth said. He didn't have time to tell every member of the team individually what happened. "Wait 'till everyone's here so I won't have to repeat myself."

Mohkaal was apprehensive, but he yielded.

"I heard everything." Engoth continued. Artie and Link walked in at that moment. "I guess no-one knocks anymore?" Engoth asked, sarcastically. The two ignored his comment. "You were Xalon's apprentice."

This lead to gasps all around the room. _That was a good effect..._ Engoth thought, impressed with his own delivery. _How arrogant I am..._ He thought again, smiling. He didn't dislike that quality in himself. It gave him the confidence he needed to do great things. And he knew that.

After drawing out the silence dramatically for a few moments, he broke it. Xila hadn't dared. "So you're planning to backstab us then?"

He didn't quite believe that. But he had to draw it out of her. He doubted her. Xila took a deep breath before speaking.

"I _was_ his apprentice." She said, quite simply. When no-one responded, she continued. "But I left his army." She didn't talk again. So Engoth took it as his cue.

"You expect us to believe that?" Engoth asked. He made a good show of it, but it was just that; a show. He believed her.

"You're going to have to." Xila replied simply.

"That doesn't work." Engoth said. "You're not the one with the power here."

"Then who is?" Xila asked, challenging Engoth. He smiled; he wouldn't play her games.

"Me." He said, quite simply.

"Fine. What do you purpose we do, oh Legendary Hero?"

Engoth glowered down at her. "I ain't the one who..." He was cut off. A searing pain forced him to the ground. After a few seconds, he tracked that pain to his left wrist. He looked down. It was as if it was trying to prove him wrong. A golden Triforce symbol appeared on his left hand.

Engoth turned around to see Mohkaal had just gone through the same thing that he had. A sudden thought popped into Engoth's head. He knew it was crazy, but something _made _him voice it.

"Put your hand against mine." Engoth said. Mohkaal complied. "The one with the Triforce!"

"Oh... of course..." Mohkaal said, embarrassed. Had he been a Hylian, his cheeks might have flushed.

"Put your hand over ours." Engoth said to Xila.

"What?" She asked, puzzled.

"Just do it!"

"Fine, I will!" Xila did it. But she got more than she bargained for when she did.

A blinding white light encompassed the room, making all of them shield their eyes. The light stayed for a second, and then receded.

Mohkaal was the first to try to withdraw his hand. Without success. Each time one of them tried it, the white light would come back and flash across the room.

"Enough!" Engoth said. "Xila!" He spoke with a voice of command. "Are you still loyal to Xalon?"

"What?" Xila asked, confused.

"Answer the question!" Engoth bellowed.

"No." Xila answered.

The blinding white light encompassed the room again and their hands jolted apart.

"She is telling the truth." Engoth said. He felt woozy. _That_ drained a lot of his energy.

"How can you be sure?" Artie asked.

"Because I said so." Engoth snapped. "That's enough for _you_." Artie didn't answer.

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Demons are powerful creatures. They take no psychical form unless they choose to. Demons have the power to possess the consciousness of beings and take them down to ruin. Unless the host has the will-power to out-match the Demon's.

Artie is a good example of failed Demon possessing. Of course, he was only a baby, so it was not _his_ will-power that stopped the Demon from controlling him, but his fairy's, Ski.

Ski was a feisty little fairy. Artie loved the little thing very much. He grieved for weeks when it died.

Artie's Demon is now controlled by him. Failed possessing. When Artie dies, the Demon will be released, and it will be free to do what it wishes again. But until then, Artie is in control of it.

When Demon's are successful in taking-over a body, the result is bad. The consciousness of the host is slowly diminished, and they are aware of next to nothing. If the Demon stays there too long, then the host consciousness fades to nothing. At that point, even killing the Demon wouldn't free the person. They are brain-dead.

But some Demon's don't risk body takeovers. It is impossible to judge the will power of a person, child or elder, man or woman. So it can be a risky business.

When not possessing things, Demon's take no apparent shape. They have none. The only clue that they are there is the faltering air and refracted light around them. They turn their occupied shapes into shadow. You can't see the shadow unless you're looking for it.

The team wasn't looking for it. Thus, this Demon had an easy time listening to and watching the entire event.

But Artie, having a Demon inside of him, knew how to look for one. And when he glanced outside the window at the back of Xila's room, it took him a second to realize it, but he was staring at a Demon. Artie gulped.

"Look." He said, pointing at the window. The entire team turned their heads.

Xila was the first to pick up the Demon. She didn't know a lot about Demons, so she wasn't sure what she was seeing.

Engoth saw it next. He had heard about Demons, and dismissed them for folklore. It was only when he had met Artie that he had started to believe in them. He knew what he saw.

Mohkaal and Link never saw the Demon. They thought Engoth was crazy when he sent an arrow flying through the open window.

"What are you doing?" Link cried.

The Demon was too quick for them. It disappeared before their very eyes.

"We had a spy in our midst." Engoth said, sighing. "We can now safely assume Xalon knows everything."

"Not quite." Artie said, smiling. "Xalon shouldn't know how to control and conjure up Demons."

"Well," Engoth started, "I'm quite sure Demons don't just go around listening in to other people's conversations for fun!"

"Don't get sarcastic with me Engoth." Artie said, Dead-panned. "Tutendorf knows how to control them."

Engoth swore under his breath. "Enough with this freakin' Tutendorf! Who is he, anyway? And what does he have to do with us?"

Xila answered first. "Tutendorf sent for the killing of my entire Sheikah family." She said, looking down. "No more Sheikahs reside in Hyrule because of him."

Engoth almost laughed. "Don't speak nonsense! Just because _you_ can't find the Sheikahs, doesn't mean they're not there!"

"You try finding them!" Xila shouted. "I've searched nearly a year, every corner of Hyrule, to find people of my own race! And I've turned up nothing!"

"Stop shouting guys." Artie said. "That doesn't get us anywhere."

"I'm sorry..." Xila said. "I lost my temper..."

Engoth sighed. "And I'm sorry for... provoking you. Now back on subject; what does Tutendorf have to do with this team?"

"Don't you see?" Artie asked Engoth. "Tutendorf wants the glory for himself! _He_ wants to take the 3 pearls and lead his Demon army to defeat Xalon. _He_ wants to rule Hyrule."

"Why would he want that?" Mohkaal asked.

"Why would he want that?" Artie asked, chuckling. "Unlimited power? I think most people would _want_ that."

"So he wants to get the orbs first?" Engoth asked.

Artie looked at Engoth for the first time in the conversation. "And if I know him, he plants to kill us to do so."

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Far away, the Lurker was reporting back to Xalon. "Your majesty." It said, bowing ceremoniously. Its voice echoed through out the halls of the Ice Tower.

"Have you carried out your assignment?" A cold voice asked, from its high seat upon the throne. The voice was dark and cold, and it made the Lurker shudder.

"I have." the Lurker stated.

"Very well Vince." Xalon said from atop his throne. "What was the girl's answer?"

The Lurker, Vince, sighed. "She said no." Xalon laughed.

"You know that that is unacceptable." He said, coldly.

"I know, your majesty." Vince said, still bowing. "But I have the only antidote for the poison I inflicted upon her."


End file.
